Decoratief ontwerp met gekroonde W 1874 - 1945

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this decorative design with crowned W on graph paper, and what strikes me is how the underlying grid provides a structure to this image, acting as a kind of invisible architecture for the flowing lines of the design. I like that the design doesn't quite fill the page, with areas in the corners only partly realised, and other areas missing altogether; it reminds us that the process of artmaking is often about exploring possibilities, rather than achieving a finished result. The graphite and orange pencil marks are laid down in such a way that we can clearly see the artist's hand at work. Look at the way the lines overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth and movement. The crowned W itself is drawn with a fluid, calligraphic line. For me, the image has an unfinished quality, like a thought in progress, and it is in this state of becoming that the image truly shines. I'm reminded of the graphic work of Hilma af Klint, though without the colour. Art is an ongoing conversation, after all.